Highlights - Page 3

A Swarthmore Take on the LOVE Run Philly

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Philadelphia held its annual BMW Love Run Half Marathon last Sunday. Starting at the early hour of 7:30 a.m, in 29°F weather, 11,000 runners from 48 different states began their 13.1 mile journey around Philadelphia. Amongst the multitude of runners were several of Swarthmore’s very own students. After a long period of intense cardio, these Swatties crossed the finish line, where they were congratulated with an ecstatic crowd and a lustrous medal. After the race concluded, the students returned to Swarthmore with their new medal, mug, T-shirt, and unforgettable memories.  Given the rigorous academic schedules of Swarthmore students, training for

Former United States Ambassador to Israel Kurtzer Faces Pushback During Lecture

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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article erred in referring to former Ambassador Kurtzer as the ‘Israeli ambassador.’ Kurtzer is the former United States Ambassador to Israel.  On March 20, former United States Ambassador to Israel and Egypt Daniel Kurtzer addressed the campus community in a talk titled “Israel, Palestine, and the Old-New Middle East.” The room was filled with students protesting Kurtzer’s talk, citing his invitation as an attempt of the administration “to perpetuate colonial narratives about the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” according to pamphlets distributed among protestors of the talk. Associate Professor of Economics Syon Bhanot started

What Happened in Nagorno-Karabakh was Ethnic Cleansing, not a Voluntary Exodus of Armenians

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While most of the world’s eyes remain fixed on Israel’s assault on Gaza, another humanitarian crisis in the Southern Caucasus has gone unnoticed, despite the fact that the U.S. arms trade and its regional allies have been deeply implicated in it. Over 100,500 Armenian refugees continue to languish in Armenia’s southern Syunik province, having been displaced from their homeland, Artsakh, in September 2023. On Oct. 11, 2024 at Parrish Porch, I and a group of Swarthmore students of Armenian descent co-organized a vigil for the displaced. While it was heartwarming to see it attended by various Swarthmore faculty members, students,

76ers Defeat the Hornets, Improving to Sixth in the Eastern Conference

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The Sixers defeated the Hornets, 109-98 on Saturday, improving to a 37-30 record and sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers faced the Charlotte Hornets at home at the Wells Fargo Center. The game was competitive, as the Sixers were only leading 53-47 when the first half ended. But, they were able to pull away with victory after scoring 56 points in the second half, holding the Hornets to 51 points. Although Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers all-star guard, lacked efficiency, shooting 8-20 from field goal, he still played phenomenally, as he scored 30 points to help the Sixers win.

UNC Field Hockey Coach Erin Matson Makes History

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In 2018, a standout player joined the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) field hockey team, but the contributions that she would make in the next five years were nothing anyone could expect. Erin Matson, originally from Chadds Ford, PA, is known as one of the best field hockey players of all time. Before her time at UNC, she was selected for the U.S. women’s national field hockey team at the age of sixteen, being one of only two people to ever accomplish this incredible honor.  At UNC, Matson was a 4x NCAA national champion, 5x Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion,

RAs Walkout of Bargaining Session, Citing Bad Faith Negotiation

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Members of Swarthmore College’s Resident Assistants (RA) union walked out of their second bargaining session with administrators on Monday, March 4, protesting what they describe as undue delays and a refusal by the administration to negotiate in good faith. The meeting was the second in the ongoing collective bargaining process initiated when Swarthmore College’s RAs voted to unionize as a part of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU).  The first meeting, held on Feb. 12, was primarily spent discussing a set of nine preliminary proposals introduced by the union. The proposals are composed of structural elements typical for

Swarthmore Borough To Enforce Bag Fee for Businesses

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The Swarthmore Borough’s recent ordinance banning single-use products and noncompliant paper bags was met with mixed reactions from the campus community and local residents. Since Jan. 8, 2024, retail establishments have been banned from providing single-use plastic bags and polystyrene products such as styrofoam. Starting on Earth Day, April 22, consumers will instead be incentivized to bring their own reusable bags, and businesses must charge a dime for compliant paper bags containing more than 40% post-consumer recycled content.  The ordinance lists four reasons for which the ban was implemented: the environmental impacts of single-use products, difficulties of recycling such products,

Unions and Jazz in Philadelphia: A Problematic, Informative, and Instructive History 

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art of the clef club in neon style

Last semester, more than 90% of the Swarthmore Resident Assistants (RAs) voted to unionize, capping the first successful union campaign in the college’s history. The vote happened amidst a wave of visible unionization and labor organizing across the country in the past few years. From actors and writers striking in Hollywood to Starbucks workers to university faculty across California, collective bargaining seems more nationally relevant and important as ever.  In order to both contextualize the contemporary unionization movement and to think about what the goals of worker organizing should be, it makes sense to turn to the past. Specifically, I

Famed Shoe Designer Stuart Weitzman Visits Campus

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On Feb. 28, famed shoe designer CEO Stuart Weitzman visited Swarthmore to talk to students about his business journey and give advice. Creating and repeating unique styles such as thigh-high boots and “nudist” heels and using celebrity imagery, Weitzman has become foundational to culture and fashion by adapting to demanded trends, prioritizing comfort, and highlighting the importance of shoes on the red carpet. The visit was organized by the Center for Innovation and Leadership and co-sponsored by the Makerspace, the art department, and Career Services.  Weitzman started his Swarthmore talk with the importance of risk in his success. After graduating

Renowned Lawyer Noura Erakat Speaks On Genocide Case Against Israel 

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On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Noura Erakat, renowned activist, human rights lawyer, and associate professor at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, gave a talk on The Crime of Genocide: International Law and Gaza. The talk was part of the “South Africa to Gaza: World History and the Politics of Accountability” series, sponsored by the Aydelotte Foundation, the President‘s Fund for Racial Justice, Swarthmore College Libraries, Arabic, Art History, Black Studies, Educational Studies, English Literature, French & Francophone Studies, History, the Intercultural Center, Islamic Studies, Religion, and Sociology & Anthropology. Professor Erakat began her talk by introducing the formal definition of genocide by

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